Belt lacing apparatus



April 9, 1940.

H. J. CAMP ET AL BELT LACING- APPARATUS Filed April 25, 1959 I Patented 9, 19 40" UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 2,196,956 BELT meme APPARAT S Harry James Camp, Enfield, and Charles Watson, Ohingford, London, England Application April 25, 1939, Serial No. 270,038 In Great Britain June 15, 1938 6 Claims. (c1. 140-93 This invention relates to belt lacing apparatus and has for its object the provision of an imclamping [operation in order to obtain loops,

and in" relation to this ,form of belt connection it has been proposed to employ a'clamping apparatus incorporating a removable pin which, during the clamping operation has 1 constituted a former about which the lacing strip or each staple has been turned or iolded, in some cases in conjunction with stop means on one or the other of the clamping jaws of the apparatus for the purposeof holding up the strip or staple against also in the same machines, as a subsequent 35 operation, for flattening the helical wires threaded into the said punchings. Additionally in such machines it has also been proposed to incorporate I means whereby the wire helices may be constructed from ordinary wire. 40 With this latter type of belt lacing apparatus the flattening operation on the helices of wire, before their interconnection, has resulted in a certain shaping of the interconnecting part .which has disadvantages. In other words, the I shaping of the 'endof the flattened helices which, during the driving of the, belt engages the interconnecting cord of rawhide or otherwise, has I been that which the helical wire would take 50 purely by the flattening action. I

' However, with apparatus according to the present invention the interior shape of this portion of the flattened helix can be made to agree exactly with the exterior surface of the inter- 55 connecting cord. I

face of the former. By choosing aformer having Thus, according to. the present invention an apparatus for flattening a wire helix threaded into a belt end to constitute part of a belt connection, comprises clamping jaws, spaced .pins on one of said jaws for locating the turns of' the helix projecting from the end of the belt when said end is placed within the'jaws, and a former for location in the turns of the helix, the said spaced pins forming stop means for holding the former against the interior of said turns, during the relative movement of the clamping jaws that serves to flatten the turns of the helix, so that the interior shape of the outer "end of the flattened helix will correspond to the adjacent surasurface shaped to correspond with the exterior surface of the connecting cord, it will be obvious that the interior shape of theouter end of the flattened helix will agree exactly with said exterior surface of the connecting cord. In most cases the interconnecting rawhide cord or the like is of circular section and thus the former is given a substantially semi-circular cross sectionalshape. Thus, when the two adjacent flattened helices are in position the con- I necting member can readily be included between them and the same circular engaging part of each portion of both flattenedjhelices contacts with the said interconnecting'member throughout its extent.

In order that the invention may be better understood, it will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawing in which:

Fig. 1' shows an elevation from one side of a belt lacing apparatus of the type to which the invention relates and to which the invention is applied. 7 i

Fig. 2 is an end elevation of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3'is a similar view to Fig. 1 but taken from the other side of the apparatus.

Fig. 4 is an enlarged sectional side elevation illustrating a preferred form of the invention.

' Fig. 5 is a' somewhat diagrammatic plan view in section of certain parts shown in Fig. 4. t

I Fig. 6 is a similar viewto Fig. 4 but showing the parts thereof in another position.

i Fig. '7 is' a side elevation of a joint between adjacent ends of a belt with the ends of'the helices formed by apparatus in accordance with the invention.

Fig. 8 isa View, somewhat similar to Fig. 6,

- showing a modification.

Fig. 9 showsfla similar view to but'of ratus already known, to illustrate the structural defects of the joint attained by such old machines.

The apparatus shown in Figs. 1, 2 and 3 is of a generally known character except for the part which is constructed according to the invention and comprises on one side a mouth I!) to receive the belt end to have the angularly inclined spaced perforations made therein by punching pins H carried by a backing plate l2 subject to the action of a cam I3 controlled by a lever handle I4 to cause movement on a central post or pillar I5.

By this means upon the insertion of the belt end therein it is given the desired row of angularly inclined punchings.

On the other side of the machine, also as is known, are arranged similarly spaced pins it. between which the turns of the helix which has been threaded through the belt end are placed, prior to their flattening.

If' desired the machine also can have combined. therewith, in a known manner, athreaded bore II to receive a cranked spindle Hi into which one end of a wire is secured, so that by turning on the said cranked spindle the helix may be formedthereon. The parts are of such size that the turns of the helix are spaced according to the pitch of the pins l l and I6.

ln such machines as previously constructed, when the helix in the end of the belt has been inserted between the pins it into the mouth 9 in which these pins are arranged, it has been flattened without any guidance, resulting in-a structure such as shown in Fig. 9 wherein there are flats such as 20 formed on each side of the flattened end of the helix and a pointed part 2i. From a study of Fig. 9,it will be seen that the result is the interconnecting member (of rawhide or the like) 22 only has certain what may be called points or zones of contact.

It is the purpose of the present invention to obviate this defect and in accordance with the invention the mouth 19 has at the rear thereof a downwardly projecting plate or flange 23 the surface 24 of which is spaced from the nearest points of the pins It by a distance representing the gauge of the wire in the helix and the radius of the interconnecting member 22 As shown in Figs. 4 and 5, the helix 25 in the belt end 26 is located between the pins H3 and. be-

tween the pins ]6 and the portion of the helix coming adjacent the plate or flange 23 is located a former 21 of semi-cylindrical shape, this former having the diameter of the interconnecting member 22. It will thus be apparent that when the backing plate l2 descends to cause the helix to be flattened between the fixed lower jaw and the movable upper jaw and .into the position shown in Fig. 6, the helix 25 must wrap itself around the former 21 as shown in Fig. 6 to give a semi-circular formation 23 to the end of the turns of the helix.

Thus, when removed from the apparatus, two such flattened helices can be connected as shown in Fig. 7 so that the intercormecting'member 22 is contacted with by thes'emi-circular parts of the helices, obviously to give an improved result.

To facilitate the action and to prevent any possibility of the adjacent portions of the wire of the helix 25 being damaged, scored or otherwise weakened, the lower portion of the surface 24 may be rounded at 29 and if desired slightly bevelled at 30. I

In some cases in order to utilise a standard diameter interconnecting member 22 for belts, of a thickness varying from a minimum to a maxi-'- mum, the portion of the jaw 3! (Fig. 8) carrying the downwardly projecting plate or flange, 23'

coming at the upper inner corner may be rece sed, for example this recess may have a rounded v formation such'as shown at 32. Similarly, if desired the fixed jaw 33 may-have a slight rounding 7 such as at 34.

Although the invention has been more particularly described with reference to a combined .1 machine for the formation of the helix and for carrying out the punching operation, yet it. will;

be obvious that it is not limited thereto. For expample, it may merely comprise .the' clamping. means for flattening the helix and shaping the,

projecting ends of the turns thereof. Again, al-

though the movable jaw of the apparatus has been described as carrying the parts for maintaining the former in position and for constitut- .20 ing the stop means-for the helix, yet as will be '1' understood one or both of these parts may been the fixed jaw. Further, in some forms of ap-' paratus both jaws may be movable, for example in a hand-operatedtool somewhat resembling a pair of pliers.

Further, although the apparatus describedperforms the flattening of the whole axial length of the helix at the'sametime, yet-in so e ffi f g of the axial length, for example even one turn of I the helix.

the appartus may be such that it only does a part In this last-mentioned case, however, means preferably would be included in the'str-uce ture for maintaining the requisite spacing between the turns whenflattened.

forms or details of construction described, as these may be Varied to suit particular cases.

What we claim and desire tos'ecure by Letters 1' Patent of the United States of America is: g

1. Apparatus for flattening a-j wire "1181b threaded intoa belt end to constitute partof-a belt connection, comprising clamping spaced pins on one of. said jaws for locating the turns of the helix projecting from the end of the belt when said end is placed within the jaws and.- a

former for location in the turns of the helix, the said'spaced pins forming stop means for holding the former against the interior of said turns, dur

ing the relative movement of the clamping jaws that serves to flatten the turns of the helix,for T the purpose set forth.

2. Apparatus asclaimed in claimfLwvherein one of the clamping jaws is formedjor provided with a portion adapted to bear against the ex: terior of the helix to constitute a stop for holding the clamping jaws are shaped to assist in the shaping of the projecting turns the purposes set forth.

4. Apparatus as claimed in claim 1, including spaced punches for angularly perforating the belt 5 ends, substantially as set forth.

5. Apparatus as claimed in claim 1. including means for winding the wire helices, substantially as set forth.

6. Apparatus as claimed in claim wherei semi-circular bends at the outermost part of the-l" V the former is such as to obtain substantially projecting turns of the helix. i

' HARRY JAMEs'cAMef; j

CHARLESWATSQfl.

as. The invention is not limited to the precise 

